By Dana Phillips.

I have been working with direct selling leaders for many years.  I have been guilty of each one of these at least once in life.  If any of them resonate with you, remember that every reason can be just an excuse.

  1. It’s too early in the day.  Some direct sellers make frequent use of this one, believing that it is better not to make calls before prospects have a chance to handle their email, get their kids off to school, or get their day starts.  Successful leaders recognize that not everyone gets a slow start in the morning. Ask how early you can contact them.
  2. It’s too late in the day.  Successful direct sellers know that one of the secrets of business success is making one more call every day before quitting, rather than conning themselves into the call at the “optimum” time.  Ask how late you can contact customers, prospects, and team members.
  3. It is unpleasant.  Many direct sellers find the phone unpleasant, avoid have a “talk” with a disruptive team member, or avoid recruiting.  If you are evading something because it is unpleasant, ask yourself this: will it be less unpleasant as time goes on.
  4. I am too tired.  Learn to look for the second wind that comes quite often if you hang in there for a few minutes longer.  Please don’t call it quits every time you run into the first layer of fatigue.  And, by the way, get more rest.  Sometimes you are just saying I can’t go to bed when you are unwilling to cut some other activity out that causes you to lose sleep.
  5. I’m too busy right now.  This is a fine, universal, irrefutable, all-purpose rationalization for the would-be procrastinator.  We do what we believe in.  My mama had a saying that “Procrastination is just a fancy word for lazy.”  See your time as the most valuable, finite resource you have.  Invest your time; don’t just spend it. You will focus on the important things to do, not just the urgent.

What’s your excuse?  Oops, I mean reason.

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